Oleaceae

The Oleaceaefamily consists of angiosperm plantsand includes 24 genera andapproximately 600 species of shrubs andtrees, more rarely lianas.Some of them form mixed woods, others– vast thickets, a third group comprise an original habitat known as the herbaceous bush savannas, while a forth group even penetrates the semi-desert areas. They are spread throughout the world, yet the most concentrations are found primarily in the tropical and subtropical regions.
Some of thesespeciesareevergreen, and others are deciduous plants. The Oleaceaeplants havebisexual orunisexual regular flowers, with a calyx and corollaformed of 4 petals each, while most often they have just 2 stamens. More rarely, however, among them there are members with flowers that have no calyx andcorolla. Usually their flowersare gathered ininflorescences – a shield and a panicle.
The fruits the olive plants form are quite varied. Some have are drupes, others– are a berry, third – a capsule, and fourth – a samara. In this country the familymembers are represented by: Ash - Fraxinus Tourn. ex L., Lilac - Syringa L., Phillyrea L., Ligustrum L., a total of 8 species. Richest inspecies and most widely spread is the Ashtree(Fraxinus Tourn. ex L.).
TheOleaceaefamilyhas provided human beings with many useful plants. For example, the olive tree (Olea L.), their fruit being the raw material of important nutritious products. The flowersof the better part of the Oleaceae plantscontain essential oil that many countries use in the pharmaceutical industry. Timber of some members of thefamilyis very hard, resilient and in great demand in the furniture industry. The bark of a number of species is also beneficial - from it are extracted tannins needed in the leather industry. Among the Oleaceaethere are also ornamental plantsthat are traditionally used in park compositions.